Chapter Summaries

Yang Yang made a spectacular Premier League debut for Liverpool, scoring twice and assisting Crouch before Benitez substituted him after an hour to protect him. Liverpool beat Newcastle 4–0, and Yang Yang’s performance earned widespread praise as he left the match poised to become central to the team.

• Benitez substituted Yang Yang after sixty minutes, and Yestaran explained that the coach wanted to protect him from heavy challenges and help him maintain his form.
• Yang Yang received congratulations from his teammates, shook hands with Luis Garcia, and thanked Yestaran for clarifying Benitez’s intentions.
• Xabi Alonso scored from more than sixty meters in the seventy-ninth minute, giving Liverpool a 4–0 lead over Newcastle.
• Gerrard led Liverpool’s players in thanking the Anfield fans after the final whistle.
• Liverpool rose to fourth in the Premier League table, while Yang Yang earned his first Premier League Man of the Match award for scoring twice and assisting Crouch.
• Alan Hansen and other media praised Yang Yang’s debut, and Benitez said Yang could improve further because he had not yet reached his best form.

Yang Yang saw Su Ye off at Heathrow, then watched Liverpool’s Champions League draw and helped lead the team to a 2–1 win over West Ham. He remained determined to win UEFA’s Best Forward award in the future as Liverpool prepared for a challenging group.

• Yang Yang said goodbye to Su Ye at Heathrow before returning to Liverpool with Winston Bogarde.
• Yang Yang skipped UEFA’s awards ceremony and learned that Barcelona’s Eto'o won Best Forward while Ronaldinho won Best Player.
• Liverpool drew Eindhoven, Bordeaux, and Galatasaray in the Champions League group stage, and Gerrard, Xabi Alonso, Kuyt, and Yang Yang warned that the balanced group would be difficult.
• Liverpool fell behind West Ham after Reina’s mistake, but Daniel Agger equalized and Yang Yang assisted Crouch’s winning goal in a 2–1 victory.

Yang Yang trained relentlessly during the international break, using his disappointment over missed awards to fuel his efforts to master headers and adapt to the Premier League. Meanwhile, Winston Bogarde began helping Fabio Aurélio with injury-prevention training, pairing him with Yang Yang.

• Yang Yang trained daily in the Super Training Ground while China used mostly domestic players for its Asian Cup qualifiers, following his proposal to spare overseas players the travel.
• Old Bing told Yang Yang that his growing competitive fire could drive him forward as long as it did not consume him, and Yang Yang asked Old Bing to keep him in check.
• Yang Yang studied Benitez's extensive Premier League materials and continued training with Winston Bogarde, insisting that competing with Giggs was not the same as envying him.
• Winston Bogarde told Fabio Aurélio he would design a targeted strength program to help reduce injuries, and Aurélio agreed to train alongside Yang Yang.

Yang Yang scored a long-range goal ten seconds into Liverpool’s Merseyside Derby against Everton at Goodison Park. His early strike gave Liverpool the lead and reassured Benitez that the team could overcome its poor pre-match condition.

• McMahon introduced the Merseyside Derby as Liverpool and Everton both entered the match with seven points from their first three rounds.
• Benitez started Reina, Aurélio, Hyypiä, Carragher, Finnan, Mohamed Sissoko, Gerrard, Xabi Alonso, Yang Yang, Peter Crouch, and Kuyt against Moyes’s five-man midfield.
• At Poll’s whistle, Yang Yang sprinted forward as Crouch passed the kickoff back to Kuyt, and Liverpool began its fast-starting attack.
• Yang Yang ran back to receive Aurélio’s pass, turned, and carried the ball forward before firing a long-range shot past Howard into the top-left corner.
• Yang Yang celebrated in front of the Liverpool fans while Benitez and his staff welcomed the goal as a morale boost for the team.

Yang Yang scored Liverpool’s fastest Premier League goal of the season, but Reina’s stoppage-time mistake let Everton equalize and turned a likely win into a draw. In the locker room, Benitez set Yang Yang a scoring challenge with a team holiday as the prize, and Yang Yang persuaded him to include the whole squad.

• Yang Yang scored against Everton ten seconds after kickoff, but Liverpool struggled to create further chances before Andy Johnson headed in Reina’s spilled save in the final minute for a 1–1 draw.
• Gerrard comforted Reina after the match, and Yang Yang stood by him rather than blaming him for the mistake.
• Benitez criticized the team’s poor performance while praising Yang Yang, then promised him time off before Christmas if he scored ten goals by the season’s halfway point and Liverpool advanced from the Champions League group stage.
• Yang Yang asked Benitez to make the holiday a reward for the whole team, and Benitez agreed to give the squad three to four days off if they stayed in the top three and remained in the title race.
• Yang Yang’s teammates promised to help him meet the challenge, and he felt they had accepted him more fully.

Yang Yang’s spectacular goal and Liverpool’s draw with Everton dominated the British press, while Manchester United’s Cristiano Ronaldo was mocked for his quiet start to the season. Ronaldo answered the criticism against Tottenham with a dazzling solo goal, dedicated it to Yang Yang, and left Ferguson wondering whether Yang Yang would respond.

• British newspapers praised Yang Yang’s three goals and two assists in four rounds, criticized Liverpool’s poor form, and compared him favorably with Manchester United’s struggling forwards.
• Alan Hansen argued that Benitez still needed to integrate Yang Yang and unlock Liverpool’s attacking potential.
• Cristiano Ronaldo read the hostile coverage at Manchester United’s hotel and told Carlos Queiroz he would answer his critics by scoring a goal more beautiful than Yang Yang’s.
• In the seventy-eighth minute against Tottenham, Ronaldo dribbled past three defenders and scored with a powerful shot to break the 0–0 deadlock.
• Ronaldo celebrated by dedicating the goal to Yang Yang, while Ferguson approved of the challenge and wondered whether Yang Yang would accept it.

Yang Yang faced a media frenzy after Cristiano Ronaldo’s spectacular goal was framed as a challenge to him. He answered calmly but cleverly set the terms so Ronaldo would have to repeat a goal that depended heavily on luck.

• Yang Yang learned from Aurélio that Cristiano Ronaldo had scored after dribbling past three players and celebrated in a way that resembled Yang Yang’s.
• British media swarmed Melwood to question Yang Yang about Ronaldo, while Gerrard, Carragher, and his teammates urged him to stand up for Liverpool.
• Yang Yang praised Ronaldo’s goal but said he had also scored after dribbling past three players and hoped to do so in the Premier League.
• Reporters realized Yang Yang had shifted the challenge toward repeatable dribbling while making Ronaldo’s ten-second goal difficult to reproduce.

Liverpool rotated heavily for their Champions League away match against Eindhoven, then brought on key players to take control and win 1–0. Yang Yang set up Gerrard’s late decisive goal, leaving Liverpool with an important victory before their clash with Chelsea.

• Yang Yang’s teammates praised his clever counter-challenge to Cristiano Ronaldo and discussed when he might dribble past three defenders.
• Benitez rested Yang Yang, Gerrard, Xabi Alonso, and Hyypiä for Liverpool’s Champions League opener away to Eindhoven, prioritizing the upcoming match against Chelsea.
• Eindhoven controlled possession early, but Liverpool’s defense held firm and the visitors created the more dangerous chances.
• Xabi Alonso replaced Mohamed Sissoko and helped Liverpool settle into the match, while Gerrard later replaced Robbie Fowler.
• Yang Yang replaced Luis Garcia in the eighty-second minute and assisted Gerrard’s winning goal with a diagonal pass in the eighty-sixth minute.

Liverpool prepared in London for their away match against Chelsea, as Yang Yang studied the opposition and Benitez laid out a plan to exploit Chelsea’s lack of width. Yang Yang accepted the task of attacking Boulahrouz and entered the match determined to prove himself.

• Yang Yang roomed with Xabi Alonso in London and studied Liverpool’s extensive dossier on Chelsea while talking with Su Ye about her acting auditions.
• Xabi Alonso told Yang Yang that Gerrard had predicted Liverpool would reach the Champions League Final, and the two shared their hopes of winning the trophy.
• Benitez told Liverpool that Chelsea would rely on the middle because Duff had left and Robben was injured, and he planned to use Peter Crouch and Yang Yang up front with Pennant on the right.
• Benitez predicted Boulahrouz would defend against Yang Yang and challenged Yang Yang to break through Chelsea’s defense.
• Yang Yang confidently promised to turn Boulahrouz from Mr. Zero Mistakes into Mr. Mistakes and said he wanted to prove himself at Stamford Bridge.

Liverpool weathered Chelsea’s early pressure before Yang Yang scored in the twenty-second minute, giving the visitors a 1–0 lead at Stamford Bridge. Mourinho faced the problem of how to break Benitez’s tactics without leaving Chelsea vulnerable to counterattacks.

• Chelsea pressed from the start, and Daniel Agger cleared Shevchenko’s header off the goal line in the eleventh minute.
• Benitez urged Liverpool to stop retreating and attack down the flanks, and Yang Yang beat Boulahrouz to cross for Crouch, whose header went just over.
• Yang Yang dribbled past Boulahrouz again and forced Čech to tip his long-range shot over the crossbar.
• After Crouch struck the crossbar, Yang Yang combined with Xabi Alonso, Aurélio, and Crouch before pulling the ball away from Essien and curling it into the top-right corner.
• Yang Yang celebrated Liverpool’s goal as Benitez applauded, while Mourinho considered how Chelsea could respond without exposing themselves to Liverpool’s counterattacks.

Liverpool and Chelsea went into halftime level after Yang Yang and Drogba scored, but Liverpool’s tactical control and Ballack’s second-half sending-off gave Yang Yang hope of securing an away win. The chapter ended with Yang Yang recognizing a real opportunity to help Liverpool beat Chelsea.

• Yang Yang kept threatening Chelsea from the left, but Drogba equalized with a powerful turning volley just before halftime.
• Liverpool’s players praised Drogba’s goal and encouraged Yang Yang, while Benitez told the team to stay patient and keep playing as they had.
• Neither side made a halftime substitution, and Mourinho shifted Chelsea’s defense to focus more closely on Yang Yang.
• In the fifty-first minute, Ballack stepped on Mohamed Sissoko’s knee and received a straight red card from Mike Riley.
• Mourinho adjusted Chelsea’s tactics, while Boas sent Robben to warm up, and Yang Yang saw the dismissal as a chance for Liverpool to win.

Yang Yang broke through Chelsea’s defense and scored his second goal, putting Liverpool ahead again at Stamford Bridge. Liverpool celebrated as they looked to end Chelsea’s long unbeaten home run, but the match had not yet finished.

• Chelsea brought on Robben for Shevchenko, and Liverpool responded by sending on Kuyt for Mohamed Sissoko.
• Yang Yang studied Boulahrouz’s close-marking style and began dropping deeper to draw him out.
• In the sixty-ninth minute, Finnan switched the ball to Yang Yang, who burst between Boulahrouz and Essien, dribbled past Terry, and shot past Čech.
• Carvalho slid into the goal while trying to clear Yang Yang’s shot, and the goal was awarded to Liverpool.
• Yang Yang celebrated his brace with his teammates, and Gerrard recalled that Yang Yang had promised to dribble past three opponents.

Liverpool beat Chelsea 3–1 at Stamford Bridge, ending Benitez’s long run of league defeats against Mourinho’s side and Chelsea’s three-year unbeaten home record. After the match, the managers debated the refereeing and praised Yang Yang, while Ballack apologized to Sissoko in Liverpool’s dressing room.

• Mourinho replaced Boulahrouz with Ferreira, but Liverpool kept attacking and Gerrard scored from Crouch’s headed layoff in the eighty-seventh minute to seal a 3–1 win.
• Liverpool celebrated Benitez’s first league victory over Chelsea and Chelsea’s first home defeat in three years.
• At the press conference, Mourinho accepted Ballack’s red card but criticized the referee for not awarding Chelsea a penalty, while Benitez argued that Chelsea players should also have been sent off and Liverpool should have received a penalty.
• Mourinho and Benitez praised Yang Yang’s ability and potential, and Benitez said Yang Yang’s five league goals and two assists made an almost perfect start to his Premier League career.
• Ballack personally apologized to Sissoko, and Yang Yang admired the German’s character.

After Liverpool’s 3–1 win over Chelsea, British newspapers hailed Yang Yang’s two goals and growing role as Liverpool’s attacking core. The coverage intensified the rivalry with Cristiano Ronaldo ahead of Manchester United’s match against Arsenal.

• The Liverpool Echo praised Yang Yang’s brace and assist against Chelsea, noting his five goals and two assists in four league appearances and his shared lead in the scoring chart.
• Benitez called Yang Yang a key player but urged patience as the nineteen-year-old continued adapting to Liverpool and the Premier League.
• Henry Winter celebrated Yang Yang’s goals, including his dribble past three defenders, and compared the moment with Cristiano Ronaldo’s recent feat.
• Alan Hansen and The Times editor Evans described Yang Yang as Liverpool’s emerging attacking standard-bearer and praised the team’s developing spine.
• Martin Samuel reported that Chelsea players blamed tactical shortcomings for the defeat and regretted the club’s failure to sign Yang Yang, while considering a new winger for winter.
• The Sun put Yang Yang’s challenge to Cristiano Ronaldo on its cover as attention shifted to Manchester United’s upcoming match against Arsenal.

Messi read about Yang Yang’s outstanding start at Liverpool and received advice from Ronaldinho to build his confidence rather than compare himself with Yang Yang. At Manchester United, Cristiano Ronaldo faced ridicule from Alan Smith over his failed challenge, and teammates intervened before their confrontation escalated.

• Messi read Catalan coverage praising Yang Yang’s five goals and two assists in Liverpool’s first four league matches, including his three-player dribble against Chelsea.
• Ronaldinho told Messi that Yang Yang’s confidence and hard work helped explain his performances, and urged Messi to focus on improving himself.
• Messi accepted Ronaldinho’s advice and left the conversation more determined.
• At Carrington, Manchester United players discussed Yang Yang’s win over Chelsea and the media attention surrounding Ronaldo’s wager.
• Alan Smith mocked Ronaldo for provoking Yang Yang, and Ronaldo stood up angrily before Gary Neville and other teammates separated them.

Manchester United lost 1–0 at home to Arsenal after Cristiano Ronaldo squandered numerous chances, leaving him isolated under the fans’ jeers. Ferguson backed Ronaldo through the defeat, believing the ordeal could help him mature into a top star.

• Cristiano Ronaldo took repeated long-range shots and missed several strong chances as Manchester United attacked Arsenal throughout the match.
• Fabregas dispossessed Ronaldo in the eighty-fifth minute and passed to Adebayor, who scored Arsenal’s only goal.
• Ferguson told Queiroz that Ronaldo had to overcome his impatience and win the trust of his teammates through his own ability.
• Manchester United lost 1–0, and Ferguson let Ronaldo play the full match despite his poor performance.
• Ferguson embraced Ronaldo and walked beside him toward the tunnel as the fans jeered and the squad kept its distance.

Yang Yang backed Cristiano Ronaldo to recover from fierce criticism after Manchester United’s loss, while Liverpool climbed to the top of the Premier League with a 3–0 win over Tottenham. The chapter ended with Yang Yang and Gerrard named among FIFA’s thirty candidates for World Footballer of the Year.

• Aurélio asked Yang Yang about Manchester United’s defeat, and Yang Yang defended Cristiano Ronaldo, predicting he would overcome the pressure and improve.
• Liverpool finished the fifth Premier League round in third place, with Yang Yang tied for the league scoring lead on five goals.
• Yang Yang set up Crouch to score as Liverpool beat Tottenham Hotspur 3–0 at Anfield, then Kuyt and Riise added goals.
• Cristiano Ronaldo scored Manchester United’s equalizer against Reading, earning praise after his team’s earlier defeat to Arsenal.
• Liverpool moved into first place after beating Tottenham, while FIFA named Yang Yang and Gerrard among its thirty World Footballer of the Year candidates.

Liverpool started their Champions League campaign with three straight wins, while their Premier League form faltered after a defeat to Bolton and a draw with Blackburn. Yang Yang scored in each of Liverpool’s last two European matches, and the chapter left the team preparing to face Manchester United at Old Trafford.

• Liverpool defeated Galatasaray 3–1, with Crouch scoring twice and Yang Yang scoring his first Champions League goal of the season.
• Bolton beat Liverpool 1–0 after a disputed handball call led to Speed’s goal, handing Liverpool their first defeat of the season.
• After the international break, Yang Yang scored Liverpool’s equalizer in a 1–1 home draw with Blackburn, and Liverpool dropped to sixth in the league.
• Yang Yang scored the decisive goal as Liverpool beat Bordeaux 1–0 away, giving Liverpool three wins from three Champions League group matches.
• Benitez praised Yang Yang as a vital player and said his performance would affect Liverpool’s upcoming away match against Manchester United.

Manchester United took an early lead against Liverpool at Old Trafford when Cristiano Ronaldo headed in a corner in the fifth minute. Liverpool defended under sustained pressure, and Yang Yang remained confident that they would find an opening if they held firm.

• Liverpool pressed aggressively after kickoff, but neither Riise's long-range shot nor their early attacks produced a goal.
• Cristiano Ronaldo headed in Giggs's corner in the fifth minute, giving Manchester United the lead.
• Benitez adjusted Liverpool's defense as Manchester United pressed their advantage and Ronaldo created several more chances.
• Liverpool retreated to defend, with Daniel Agger clearing a corner and Reina stopping Ronaldo's headed attempt.
• Yang Yang kept running and waited patiently, trusting Liverpool's plan to withstand Manchester United's pressure.

Manchester United took an early lead, but Liverpool settled and created chances as Yang Yang patiently sought space against Cristiano Ronaldo’s increasingly individual play. The chapter ended with Ronaldo preparing to take a free kick while he and Yang Yang faced off with the same determination to win.

• Before the match, Bobby Charlton presented Scholes with a commemorative trophy for his five-hundredth Manchester United appearance.
• Bobby Charlton and the other legends discussed Manchester United’s attack, and Bobby observed that Cristiano Ronaldo’s one-man play was making the team too reliant on him.
• Yang Yang helped Liverpool regain their rhythm, crossing for Kuyt and setting up Gerrard before Gary Neville tripped him and received a yellow card.
• Cristiano Ronaldo continued to threaten with individual runs and long-range shots as Liverpool’s defense held firm and Yang Yang looked for space behind Manchester United’s advancing line.
• After Mohamed Sissoko fouled Ronaldo and received a yellow card, Ronaldo prepared to take the free kick as he and Yang Yang eyed each other with competitive resolve.